First Impressions

2013 Lexus GS 350

Episode 3112

It’s not too often that we get really excited about a Lexus around here; nothing personal, it’s just that with the exceptions of the IS-F and LFA, they don’t exactly peg the excitement meter. Well, Lexus has heard those complaints and hopes to follow all that LFA supercar buzz with this far more dynamic 2013 GS 350.

And it certainly looks the part. To say the styling is LFA-inspired would be an understatement. The very aggressively formed front end means business. Sides however are more smooth than angry, while the back end is chunky, yet athletic looking with unique polished exhaust tips.

The interior treatment is decidedly more distinctive and horizontal than before. Typical for Lexus, premium materials abound, and the optional wide screen nav measures a huge 12.3-inches. You’ll also find a new Lexus Drive Mode Selector which allows you to choose ECO, Normal, Sport S, or Sport S+ modes, adjusting suspension, steering, and VSC settings accordingly.

Under the hood sits a 3.5-liter V6 slightly uprated to 306-horsepower, hooked to the rear wheels through a 6-speed automatic with sequential shifting. All-wheel-drive remains available.

Our initial driving impressions also show that Lexus has made great headway in delivering a GS that we’d put on our short list.

BRIAN ROBINSON: Lexus is making a big effort to become more of a performance oriented brand. And, the GS really helps that, as it’s a very capable car. It does still rely heavily on electronics, though, so it still doesn’t have that pure performance car feel of some others in the segment. But overall it’s very good.

JOHN DAVIS: Pricing for the 2013 Lexus GS 350 starts under $50,000; and next year both Hybrid and F-Sport versions will arrive.